


A Morning in the Ludgate-Dwyer-Wyatt Household

by Chameleani



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M, mostly platonic fun, season three yearning ben
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:14:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25176739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chameleani/pseuds/Chameleani
Summary: Staying in Pawnee was a great idea, because who wouldn’t want to be living in a giant health code violation with two adult children, romantically frustrated with one of his two closest friends and forced into that position by the rules of the other?Ben struggles to get April and Andy out the door and to work on time.
Relationships: Andy Dwyer/April Ludgate, Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	A Morning in the Ludgate-Dwyer-Wyatt Household

Ben sighs as he trudges into the kitchen, dressed and ready for work, met with a sight he shouldn’t be unprepared for after a few weeks living with his roommates. He swiftly dodges a water balloon headed his way and bends down to retrieve the broken plastic from the now soaked carpet. 

“You guys are gonna have a mold problem if you keep this up.”

“You’re gonna have a boring problem if you keep talking.” April replies, perched on the kitchen counter, still dressed in her pajamas. She produces a water balloon from out of the sink and, literally backed against a corner, Ben has nowhere to go to avoid the attack. Defeated and soaked, he retreats into his room to get dressed again.

Living with April and Andy was like involuntarily adopting two adult children— only one was much bigger and stronger than you and the other annoyingly more clever.

Round two— he slips out of his room carefully to find the kitchen empty again. Cautiously, he makes his way to the countertops, picking up balloon pieces and the occasional beer bottle on the way. He checks his watch, pulls three bowls from the cabinet, and makes it as far as pouring cereal before he’s stopped again.

“Guys— I _just_ bought new milk.” He calls out.

“Yeah!” April replies from their bedroom. “Andy used it up in the water balloons.”

“You... were throwing milk filled water balloons around your house?”

“At first, yeah.” Says Andy, entering the kitchen in his slacks and undershirt. “But then we ran out, so we used water.”

Ben deadpans. “You’re going to get bugs.”

“Cool.” April (still in pajamas) says from behind him (how did she get there?), grabbing a spoon and crunching on the cereal dry. “Hey, did you pay the water bill, Nerd?”

 _“You_ paid your bills. I just did the work for you— you understand that I used your money, right?”

Andy frowns. “That’s not fair, you live here too.”

Ben raises an eyebrow. “Utilities are included in my— never mind. Hurry up, or we’re going to be late.”

“Hurry up,” April parrots in a completely incorrect, nasal, and frankly a little offensive imitation. “We’re going to be late and my boyfriend Chris will hate me and my girlfriend Leslie will lecture me! Oh no!”

“Haha!” Andy ignores his bowl of cereal and takes a handful of April’s. “Leslie’s his _girlfriend_.”

Ben rolls his eyes, starting the coffee machine and searching for a clean mug in the cabinet. The one he procures is red and says in white lettering, ‘This Mug Belongs to Beautiful April Ludgate ~ Galentine’s Day 2010’. He grins and shakes his head before he looks over his shoulder to address them. “She isn’t my girlfriend. Stop making those jokes, we can get in trouble.”

He then makes the mistake of brewing his coffee and turning his back, groaning when he hears the snap of the refrigerator opening and closing again. “April, don’t!” 

“Your mayo-fee, kind sir.” April slides the mug ofcoffee with a dollop of mayonnaise floating in the center across the counter. “That’ll be ten thousand dollars.”

Andy’s eyes widen. “That’s a lot of money, babe. We’re gonna be rich.”

“Just—..” Ben pinches the bridge of his nose. One breath in, one breath out. Staying in Pawnee was a great idea, because who wouldn’t want to be living in a giant health code violation with two adult children, romantically frustrated with one of his two closest friends and forced into that position by the rules of the other? He pours the mug’s contents down the drain, watching the murky liquid slip past colorful balloon remnants and grimacing as the clump of mayo hits the bottom of the sink with an unsettling _schlop_. “Eat your breakfast and get dressed. We’ll deal with the milk in the carpets when we get home.”

“Sure, _Dad_.” April says sarcastically, not looking up. She’s pouring mini marshmallows into Andy’s cereal. “Tell me when, babe.”

He giggles, bouncing up and down on his toes. “Never!”

When they finally emerge from their bedroom dressed, they’re already an hour late for work. Ben would leave on his own, he usually does, but his car is at the body shop and he was relying on April for a ride. With a frustrated huff, he pulls his cell phone out of his pocket and dials.

“Hey, you!” Leslie answers, chipper as always on any morning. “Where are you? I didn’t see you today.”

“Uh, home, still...” He shuffles his feet, feeling that weird bubbling in his stomach he’s been feeling a lot of lately whenever he hears her voice. “Trying to get the two children I live with dressed and out the door.”

“We always knew the parenting life was going to be a struggle for you. Your car’s still broken?”

“Yeah, they said it’d be another day.”

“Ah— that’s too bad. Do you need me to come pick you up?” Her overwhelming desire to help makes his heart pick up speed. The things that she does to him.

“I appreciate it, but it’s okay. I think they’re almost ready to go.” Wishful thinking.

“All right. See you soon, Ben.”

“Bye, Leslie.”

“Hey, how’s your girlfriend?” April bumps his shoulder as she passes, finally dressed.

“Not my— where’s Andy?”

“He ran away to Canada so I’m stealing his identity and faking my death.” As if on cue, Andy emerges from the hallway, tackling April into a hug. His shirt’s on inside out, but it’s likely the best Ben will get. He tosses April her keys and opens the door.

“Let’s go, please.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends! I hope you liked this one :). I promise I write romance sometimes but I just have so much fun writing silly, platonic fics. It’s also fun to try and get the characters’ voices to sound right, which is a bit more difficult in a dramatic, romantic story. Besides, you can’t pretend like the Ben/April/Andy dynamic isn’t awesome. 
> 
> Anyway, I’ll stop rambling now. I don’t have anybody beta these, so reviews are always appreciated!
> 
> On tumblr with the same username if you wanna chat. Stay safe and take care of yourself!


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